mortal equipment

The dead are always 
fully-armed. Reduced 
to ash, or buried embalmed. 
We dress them in some Sunday 
best, let fire or gravestone 
do the rest.
They strike at us 
from vales beyond
by poleax, spear, or
sword of flame.
The dead 
are always
fully-armed. 
Sometimes,
they don't even
need 
a name. 

They stand in warning 
by dangerous paths.
What happened to them
could happen again. It
has happened before. 

So we stand transfixed 
warned off from risk, 
and love, 
and pain

galore.